If wishes were fishes
by Lauriena
Summary: When Rommie makes a wish and strange things begin to happen to happen to Harper, NOT Rommie/Harper *complete* w/ two endings (FYI-two minor swears)
1. wishes

a/n- my mom read my last fan fic and kept asking me if I was that depressed (no I am not my fingers just wrote that depressing of a story) so I decide to do a happier story but me and comedy don't always get along so hopefully this will not be a comedy but have some funny parts in it.  
  
I have read this idea on other fandoms but I don't know if anyone has done it with Andromeda. I also am planning on referring to the characters I created in Responsibilities but you don't need to read it to understand this piece.  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own them they are just over in my dorm room for a beer and a little fun (not that kind of fun "I'm a good gurl I am", to quote Ms Dolittle) I'll return when the adventures over. If you sue all I have is a Bart Simpson poster and 50 cents for bus fare that I can give you.  
  
  
  
"This has to be the dullest place ever, what made Dylan decide to have shore leave here?" Harper whined as he and Rommie wandered through the peaceful market place.  
  
"He said it reminds him of his earth." Rommie replied.  
  
"His earth huh? No Magog, no Neizchiens, which isn't all bad. But no bars, no clubs. What kinda earth did Dylan grow up on?"  
  
"Dylan didn't grow up on earth. He grew up on a…"  
  
"I know Rommie" Harper interrupted Rommie before she could finish explaining. "But come on this place is boring there is no action, I mean at least on my earth you could always find some form of entertainment even if it was just hiding out from some Neizchiens looking for fun."  
  
"Harper stop complaining."  
  
"Yeah I guess I should be grateful I am not making repairs on you through the entire shore leave again."  
  
"Now you are just being childish. You're the chief engineer it's your job to keep me running and sometimes that means that we have to dock so you can make repairs. It's not shore leave."  
  
"That's what you say." Harper said launching into another long winded answer. "But I am your only engineer so well everyone else gets to relax and go explore the space station you and me stay behind for repairs. I mean last time I was in the middle of repairs Beka got so drunk that she…"  
  
"HARPER! Stop complaining already. You act like such a 5 year old."  
  
"Well fine then." Harper turned to face Rommie and stuck out his tongue as he put his hands to the side of his face making moose antlers.  
  
"Thank you for proving my point" Rommie said placing her hand on her hip.  
  
"Yeah well, where is this place the Dylan wanted us to go." Harper said trying to quickly change the subject.  
  
"Just ahead they may have the parts I need." Rommie replied as she scanned the area ahead of them.  
  
"And the sooner we get them the sooner I can get inside you and get you purring like a kitten." Harper said trying to lay on the charm.  
  
"Harper battleships don't purr" Rommie said trying to bat down his flirting before it progressed any further. Their conversations always turned to this joking flirting but she had no feeling for Harper other than a close friend. It was easy to see that Harper cared more about her than that but would never go anywhere with it  
  
"You would if you if you let me make you purr" Harper replied beginning their normal game of him flirting and Rommie shooting him down.  
  
"Harper" Rommie almost shouted as she stopped and turned to face Harper. With her hands on her hips she tried to look Harper in the eyes.  
  
"What Rom-Doll?" Harper said cocking his head to one side giving her the best puppy dog eyes he could mange. It always worked with Beka these days and he knew he was heading into dangerous territory but Rommie never stayed mad at him for long. Besides she always seemed to enjoy this game as long as it stayed verbal.  
  
"Nothing, the place is just ahead a little ways."  
  
***  
  
The shop was a collection of a sorted junk. There were different parts of all shapes and sizes. It was a store were hunting for something specific was out of the question. It was more a store were you could find lots of useless junk unless you were Harper. Harper wandered through the small shop touching every piece of equipment picking the lighter pieces up and examining them from all angles. Rommie stood by just watching him for over an hour. Placing objects that he seem to find some value in his growing pile of junk. It was like a kid in a candy store, although she doubted that Harper ever got that experience growing up. Dylan wanted them back in an hour and it would take a while to back to the Maru. There were also the other stores they had to stop at. As much as she hated to she was going to have to pull Harper away from his quest for the prefect piece of junk.  
  
"Harper, we need to be heading out shortly" Shortly would soon turn into fifteen minutes or even an hour with Harper.  
  
"Alright Rom-Doll, I'm almost done." Harper said with out lifting his eyes off the piece he was currently examining.  
  
"Harper we have been in here of almost an hour and we have an hour and three more places to stop and look at."  
  
"Alright Rommie, one minute" Harper replied with his shoulder slumping as he went to the lady who ran the shop to haggle over a couple pieces of equipment he had managed to find. The two seem to be in a fight over one piece. Rommie imagined that Harper's asking price must have been too low. He was an excellent haggler and could mange to pay half what most things were worth. But they really didn't have time for Harper to spend an hour discussing the price with the lady. She walked up to the two ready to pay the lady's asking price.  
  
"I told you it's not for sale." The shopkeeper repeated pointing to the necklace Harper held in his hand. What Harper wanted with the necklace she didn't know but him and the old lady were getting into a shouting match over it.  
  
"Come on everything for sale for the right price."  
  
"No it shouldn't have been on display, I don't know how it even got there."  
  
"Why not"  
  
"It grants wishes…"  
  
"So what do you want for it" Harper interrupted not wanting to hear the long winded sales pitch for it.  
  
"Not that kind of wishes, it makes them seem like coincidence but they never turn out how you want them too. They always turn out bad." The old shop owner warned Harper.  
  
"How bad could a wish turn out, no one wishes for bad things unless it's against someone they hate." Confused about the old lady's description, she seemed to really fear the necklaces. Wishes weren't true though, only in fairy tales, made by princesses in a tower waiting for their prince to rescue them, and they always turned out well for the princess in the end  
  
"Fine you don't believe me take it! You'll see what I mean. It's free! I'll be glad just to get rid of that thing!"  
  
"Thank you!" Harper said as he paid for the rest of the parts and shoved the necklace in his pocket and then picked up the boxes of parts he had bought. "Come on Rommie I think we got what we came for"  
  
As they walked out of the shop Rommie looked at Harper he was still breathing hard from the shouting match with the old woman and had broken into a quick speed walk. Why would she just give the necklace to Harper? If she didn't want to part with it or thought it was dangerous. But how dangerous could a necklace be? Besides Harper was never that into jewelry.  
  
"Harper, Harper slows down. Come on Harper" Rommie quicken her pace and caught up with Harper. "What did you want that necklace for?"  
  
"It's Beka birthday next week. I wanted something nice to give her. I didn't mean for it to turn it to such a big problem." Harper said anger filling his voice clearly still mad over what had happen in the shop.  
  
"Let me see the necklace" Rommie said curious about this piece of jewelry that had caused so much trouble. She didn't believe in wishes but this object had to be special somehow.  
  
"You don't really think it grants wishes Rom-Doll" Harper shifted the box to his hip and stopped for a moment.  
  
"No I just wanted to see it, there has to be something about it that made that old lady not want to sell it to you." Rommie said holding out her hand waiting for Harper to hand her the necklace.  
  
"Here you can scan it for radiation poisoning or whatever other secret powers you think it possesses." Harper said as he fished the necklace out of his pocket and handed it to Rommie then continued to his brisk walk back to the Maru.  
  
Rommie scanned the necklace and couldn't find anything special about it, just metal and some stones. "Nothing about it shows up on the scanners. Maybe she just didn't want to part with it. I highly doubt it grants wishes."  
  
"Trust me Rommie nothing grants wishes. Cinderella is just a fairy tale."  
  
"What would you wish for Harper?" With all the horrible things in his life she was sure there was plenty he would wish to get rid of.  
  
"I already got my wish. Those Magog are out of my tummy. Besides with my life what would I have to wish for? I had such a great childhood!" Harper tried to put on his best fake happy face.  
  
"So you would wish for a new childhood." Rommie said looking down at the necklace, it was made up of black stones around the whole necklace and then the pendent was a red stone surrounded by fancy silver designs.  
  
"There are no such things as wishes. I wish there were but I will never know a happy childhood." There was more emotion in Harper's voice then Rommie had ever before. His tried to hide to it with his face but his voice told of the horrors he had seen in his life.  
  
"Well Harper if this did grant wishes I would wish that you could have had a better childhood" Rommie said. She was still looking down at the necklace when she said this and jumped as she saw the red stone in the middle glow for the second. She quickly dismissed it as a trick of the lighting in the marketplace.  
  
  
  
  
  
*** That was just the intro, the story will be coming later… what you think…. did I keep them in character***  
  
  
  
*oh yeah the idea for the wishes came from the story The Monkey Paw (scary scary story) so I don't own that or that idea either* 


	2. reality

A/N-thanks for the reviews… sorry it was so slow…test are really evil and then ff.net was down…the story not funny but it's a cute (I think). Good or bad tell me what you think.  
  
  
  
"Harper be careful." Hologram Rommie warned as Harper proceeded to hang his legs over the edge and leaned over the guard rail working on the com systems. Wires live wires in one hand, welder in the other Harper stretched out to finish the final connection.  
  
"Rommie it will be fine, I'm a professional." Of course as Harper said he made a grand "Harper jester" and managed to hit is other hand with the live wires. His eyes bulged as he saw and felt his error and he felt his body start to convulse before he passed out into oblivion.  
  
"Harper!" Rommie called out. Scanning the ship she saw Tyr was the closest to Harpers position and well she monitored Harper weak vial signs opened a com to Tyr. "Tyr there has been an accident in machine shop three I need to come here right away."  
  
"I'm on my way." Tyr stopped his workout right away and head quickly towards the machine shop. What had that boy gotten himself into now; Harper was always blowing himself up in his attempts to keep the ship running. It was more than a one man job but somehow Harper managed it all. Sure everyone helped but it was Harper who did most of the repairs. It was just faster that way. He got to the shop and opened the doors.  
  
He was shocked to see Harper's still form and looked to Rommie for an explanation. "He was working with some live wires and managed to cross them. I already alerted Trance she is waiting for him in medical. You can touch him just be careful of those wires."  
  
Wasting no time Tyr stepped over the wires and picked up Harper into a fireman's carry. "Come on little man let's go get you patched up." Harper was an always a lightweight but he was lighter than normal. He had lost weight when the Magog larva infested him and it seemed he hadn't gained it back yet. Medical was a fifteen minute walk. Big ships had their advantages and disadvantages, long walks to medical was up there on the list of big disadvantages. Halfway there Harper started to stir. "You're awake" Tyr said trying to stay emotionless but relieved to see him awake.  
  
"Yeah" Harper quietly replied  
  
"How are you feeling little man?" Tyr was surprised at Harpers lack of words. He must have still been getting over the shock.  
  
"Fin" Harper said too quietly for Tyr liking again.  
  
"Do you think you can walk?" Harper wasn't that heavy but Tyr wanted to keep Harper awake. He still was acting weird.  
  
"I tink so" Harper said in a whisper. "tif you wan me too"  
  
Now warning signal was going off in Tyr head. Why was Harper talking like a little child? How badly hurt had Harper been by the blast. He placed Harper on the ground. Harper looked up at him and he was shaking. Tyr couldn't help thinking how small Harper looked standing there with his eyes wide with fear. "Come on we still have a ways to go till medical." Tyr placed a hand on Harpers shoulder only to feel him tense up; reminding Tyr of when they first met.  
  
"Why are we goin to meditcal?" Harper said slowing working over some of the words and still mispronouncing half of them. It was a strange change from his normal ramblings that often left Tyr wondering if he ever stopped for air.  
  
"To get you checked out" Tyr was slowly losing patience with the situation. Part of him was mad at Harper for getting hurt but he mainly wanted to get to medical so they could end this strange conversation and have Trance check him out. Something was defiantly wrong Harper didn't seem to be himself his behavior and speech were that of a child.  
  
"Wha did I do tat I need to get checked ou for? I'm sur I didn' mean to do it." Harper said starting to wiggle around under Tyr's hand. Harper hated going to medical but he never had started physical resisted before. Tyr tightened his grip on Harper only to hear him cry out.  
  
"Owe, stop tat! It hur!" Tyr was sure he hadn't grabbed Harper's shoulder hard enough to hurt him but they were at medical anyways. The doors open and Trance stood by one of the biobeds ready to treat Harper. A smile formed on her face when she saw Harper standing. She taught he would still be unconscious from the shock.  
  
"Alright Harper up on the bed."  
  
"How due you know me?"  
  
"Very funny mister now on the bed"  
  
"Are you an Neitzchien too? I've never see a gold human."  
  
"Harper? Why don't you get on the bed and I'll take a look at you, ok" Trance was getting scared. It was her friend standing in front of her but he was acting so strange. His head was cocked to the side and a confused look covered his face. The other thing was that she and Harper had always been around the same height but right now Harper was looking up at her. Electrical shocks didn't affect people's height. Harper hopped up on the biobed and Trance began running scans.  
  
"Trance I'm getting some strange reading" Hologram Rommie said as she popped into view. Harper jumped in the air and stared at Rommie.  
  
"Who, wwhat are you?" Harper said with a shaking voice drawing his knees up to his chest and moving so he now sat in the center of the bed curled up in to a tight ball.  
  
Holo Rommie stared off into space for a moment as she accessed the com in the different areas of the ship "Beka, Dylan please come to medical right away." Rommie then focused her attention back to the scene in front of her. Trance could I speak with you for a minute. Tyr will you watch Seamus." Rommie directed Seamus at Harper who looked up at the calling of his name. "Seamus you're alright here. Do you understand? We are all your friends"  
  
Harper nodded his head but stayed wrapped up in a ball on the biobed.  
  
***  
  
"What do you mean he thinks he is a child?" Dylan yelled. Everyone was there except Rommie and Harper; she had taken him to the observation deck to look at the stars.  
  
"It's more complicated than that Dylan. These are normal brain activities of Harper, Harper right now and a five year old. As you can see now his brain patterns match that of the 5 year old. It's not that he thinks he is 5 his brain thinks he is 5." Rommie explained pointing to the scans she had done earlier. "That's not all though, Harper body is started to revert back to his five year old body."  
  
"How is that happening" Tyr asked.  
  
"Well you noticed his speak patterns that could be because of the changes in the brain but he is also getting smaller. There are also other signs that he is getting younger."  
  
"What kind of signs?" Dylan said running his hands through his hair.  
  
"In the past hours his body has started to go through reverse puberty. Right now I would say he is at the body build of an early teenager."  
  
"What's causing this and more importantly how do we get our Harper back?" Beka who had been quiet up until this point shouted out.  
  
"I'm not sure. Trance and I are working on it Beka"  
  
"Well I would hurry if I were you. What's going to stop this reverse aging or is Harper just going to become a mass of cells." Beka waved her hands around to indicate her point.  
  
"I don't think he is going to go back that far. I think he will stop at the age of 5"  
  
"Why 5, why not 10 or 1 or why is this even happening at all Rommie."  
  
"I'm working on it Beka. I'll get Harper back for you. For all of us."  
  
"You better, I'm going to go look after him so you can start working." Beka stormed out of the room and headed straight for the observation deck. Harper was the closest thing to family she had left. Everyone on the Andromia was like family but they had been together for only a year. She had met Harper around 6 or 7 years ago when he was still a pimple faced teenager looking for some quick cash and a way off of earth.  
  
The observation deck doors swished open and she was greeted by a round flying object coming right at her head. She dogged out of the way and was almost knocked over by a ten year old Harper running after the object.  
  
"Rommie what is that" Beka said as she stepped out into the hallway watching Harper. The object was bouncing down the hallway and Harper seemed to be enjoying running after it.  
  
"It's damaged piece of the coolant system. Harper found it in his pocket and has been playing with it for over an hour now" Rommie replied  
  
Beka glanced over at Harper he was still in the same clothes as earlier. His shirt was more of a dress on his small frame and Beka was wondering how his pants where staying up. She got her questioned answered when Harper picked up the part he was using as a ball while pulling up his pants. It was an unconscious action like he had always wore clothes that were way too big.  
  
"Has anyone emptied his pockets yet?"  
  
"No, it would be a good idea Harper has large tools and parts in his pockets." Rommie turned back towards Harper, "Seamus can you come here for a minute"  
  
"Otay Rommie," Harper picked up his toy and came running back to Rommie one hand holding up his pants. She couldn't help think he was a cute kid but unbearably thin. Rommie knelt down in front of Harper putting her hands on his shoulders she started talking really slowly to her. "Seamus this is my friend Beka. She is going to look after you for a while. She is a nice lady you don't need to be afraid of her. And before I go I need you to empty your pockets for me Seamus."  
  
"Why, I didn't tate anyting. I promis. Don't tate my tings." Harper was shaking and fear was filling his eyes. Beka heart broke. Even though Harper was back to being a child he still had the memories of the camps. And he still feared having his small amount of possessions being taken away from him.  
  
"It's ok Shay. I'm not going to get mad at you for anything and when you are done you me can go play some more and then grab something to eat." Slowly Harper reached into his pockets and emptied out a welder, multi- tool, pocket knife, his port jack, some spare parts, leftover food, a can of sparky cola and (duct) tape. Beka was impressed by the shear amount. She picked out the tape and some parts that looked safe enough to leave with Harper and handed the rest to Rommie, who nodded and left. "Here Shay you can keep this stuff and we'll find you some other toys to play with later."  
  
"Otay," Harper looked down at his shoes clearly upset to part with his belongings. Beka felt like a bully taking away a kindergartener's lunch money but Harper tended to have a talent for hurting himself by being too curious. A five year old with a pocket knife was just asking for trouble. If only there was something she could give him for taking away his tools. Beka picked out the roll of tape and placing it in the far corner.  
  
"Hey want see if you can get your ball to go through the hole in the roll of tape?" Beka said trying to coach Harper out of his shell. Harper pulled out his ball and started throwing it at the small target. Soon he was throwing it at the tape and running all over the observation deck after the ball. After Harper seemed to be getting tired of that game they played catch for a while. Soon they both were tired and had stopped playing with the coolant part that had now become Harper's beloved ball.  
  
"Hey are you hungry?" Beka said trying to be upbeat.  
  
"A little" Harper said finally looking back up a Beka.  
  
"Alright why don't we go grab something to eat?" Beka started walking towards the mess and Harper began running beside her. Beka slowed her pace till Harper was able to keep up with out running beside. He was tripping over his pants and boots and his hands were barely visible under his t-shirt. New clothes were definitely a necessity after lunch.  
  
When they walked into the mess Dylan was sitting at the table head in his hands reading a flexi.  
  
"Hi Dylan, have you met my friend Seamus." Beka didn't feel like having Harper freeze up on her again because there was another person who knew him but he didn't know.  
  
"Hi Har…Seamus, how are you doing?" Dylan said playing along with Beka's little game but almost slipping with the name. He was taken back by how small Harper had become. Harper always said he had boyish good looks but it was weird to actually see him as a child, he looked about 8. Beka and little Harper walked to the table and Beka pulled out a chair motioning for Harper to sit down.  
  
"What do you want to eat Shay? We have some noodles, sandwiches, maybe some eggs..." she stopped when she saw the blank sares from Harper. The confused look on his face showing food choices where defiantly a new concept to the boy. "How about some sandwiches. I'll be right back."  
  
Beka made the sandwiches and put them down on the table waiting for Harper's old eating habits of shoveling the whole thing in his mouth and jug his drink. It had be two years before Harper had begun eating at normal speeds aboard the Maru. He leaned over his food so far that no one would be able to take it from him. He ate half of the sandwich and Beka saw him sneak the other half into one of his pockets. His hands never left his drink or sandwich. His whole body was pulled in like his was trying to have him and his food not be notice. He was done before Beka had even finished sitting down. He started to squirm a little. Dylan had been watching Harper the whole time.  
  
"Hey Har-Seamus why don't we go play and let Beka finish her meal."  
  
"Tay" Harper said looking not trilled at being passed to another person again. Dylan had a feeling he didn't want to make anyone mad so would agree to anything they said. For a five year old thrown into strange place with nothing he knew he was doing amazingly well.  
  
"We'll be on the basket ball court when you're done." Dylan said as they started towards the door. He tried to take Harpers hand but he pulled away before Dylan could get a hold of it. He let it go and head out of the mess hall.  
  
When Beka met up with them in an half an hour later one the basketball court Dylan looked completely worn out and Harper was now the size of a small five year old. Hopefully Rommie was right because by the end of the day Harper wouldn't be with them anymore if he kept going at this rate.  
  
"You guys want to take a break. I have something for you Shay."  
  
"Ou do? Why?" Obviously he wasn't just to strangers bearing gifts not in the form of hits and kicks.  
  
"Some new clothes." She said pointing the duffel bag to her side. "Thought they would fit you better." Dylan gave her a questioning look. "They were my brothers when we were younger. Dad never threw anything away." Answering the unanswered question in between her and Dylan. "Found some toys for you too Shay." Harper looked confused like he was unsure what to do with Beka's generosity.  
  
"Come on let's try on your new clothes." Beka said offering Harper her hand. She was surprise when he actually took it. "Umm Dylan…"  
  
"Rommie said she setup VIP room 5 for Harper why don't I meet you there." The VIP rooms were the safest in the ship so it made some sense to put him there. Harper's room was defiantly not child proof. He wouldn't remember his room anyway. His slow pace quickly showed Beka that Dylan was not the only one worn out from their basketball game. Beka stopped for a moment and scoped Harper up into her arms. He was incredibly light. He wrapped his legs around her waist and his arms around her neck. His head found its way to her shoulder and soon was drifting off to sleep. Walking into the room Beka was surprise to see that Rommie had transferred Harpers blue sheets and Cartoon character pillow case. She just hoped she had cleaned them first. She wasn't sure the last time Harper had washed them. She laid the now sleeping Harper down on the bed.  
  
"Beaka?"  
  
"Yeah Shay."  
  
"Where am I? I don't remember what happen. Is my family all dead?" Harper's eyes were so big and fearful that Beka wished she could take everything he had seen away. It was one thing to see a teenager who had seen his whole family murdered it was another thing to see a small child who seems to so quick except the death of his whole family.  
  
"No Shay. Their all ok. They just sent you here to be safe for the time."  
  
"Why is Kari not here?"  
  
"I don't know Shay. But I'm sure she is ok."  
  
"awlright" Harper started to drift off to sleep. Still fully dress with his now clown size boots on. Trance wandered in holding a small, very beaten up white teddy bear. Harper looked up clearly recognizing the bear and reaching out for it.  
  
"I thought you would like to have your bear." Trance said handing Harper the bear that he quickly grabbed and held protectively close to his body. He lay back down and in and few minutes he was fast asleep.  
  
"We found it in the Maru when… after…"  
  
"I think he was glad to have something familiar. Thanks for bringing it to him." Beka interrupted seeing Trance having trouble discussing the death of Harper in her future. She moved to the bed and started removing Harper's boots trying not to wake the sleeping boy. "How is your searching for a cure going?"  
  
"Slow. I need to run another quick scan. I won't have to wake him." Beka had removed Harpers pants leaving him in his oversized boxers and shirt. Rafes clothes would have to wait till morning. Trance ran her scan and started to leave.  
  
"You'll figure it out."  
  
"Thanks," with that Trance left and Beka pulled out one of the cushion chairs and sat beside Harper's bed. She picked up the covers tucking him in. She looked down at her sleeping friend and moved a blonde hair off of his face. He rolled over and griped his bear tighter.  
  
"Night Harper." 


	3. more wishes

Well Parisindy its short but it's up.  
  
a/n- true confessions I haven't been around a five year old since I babysat the two girls across the street in Jr. High. (currently the only young kid I see on a regular basis is almost 2 so I kinda based Harper speech off of her. Well she does have a new brother Oscar or how she pronounces his name Oh-shit.)  
  
Sorry this took so long last night I started on my special project for bio at 9pm and finished it a 3am. My computer is also being evil again, I would go through with my promise to throw it out the window but it's a $250 fine so I guess I'll just send some more quality time with the dell support people. So hopefully the next part will be out quicker.  
  
Sorry my authors note is longer than the story  
  
~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~  
  
Dylan walked towards the quarters they had set aside for little Harper. It was almost two hours after she told Beka he would met her but Rommie wanted to talk to him about some possible treatments for Harper. Since all of them involved shocking Harper or other forms of trauma Dylan had decided to hold off treatment for now. He didn't really think that Rommie wanted to go through with the treatments either. Right now they were just so in the dark on how this whole thing had happen.  
  
He was greeted by Trance standing just inside of the doorway. He started to ask her a question but she raised a finger to her lips shushing him. She then turned her head to the bed where little Harper was sleeping. Beka had pulled up a chair next to him and now was asleep with her head and body on the bed. After she had fallen asleep it looked like Harper had snuggled up under one of her arms.  
  
"I came to see Harper and give Beka a break but I don't want to wake either of them." Trance said staring at the two figures on the bed.  
  
"Their cute, but Beka's going to have one hell of a back ache in the morning" Dylan said a smile on his face.  
  
"Somethings are worth getting a backache for"  
  
Dylan just nodded his head and the two of them exited the room both stealing one last glance at the sleeping pair. Dylan made a note to have Rommie save this image in her data logs. He just hoped if, no when, Harper returned to Harper, he wouldn't go in and delete it.  
  
~~~~~~~~**~~~~~~~~  
  
(early the next morning)  
  
Beka woke up after an arm came crashing into her face. She sat up quickly feeling the stiffness in her back from sleeping in such an opposition last night. Harper was thrashing back and forth in the bed kicking off all the bed sheets. His face was drawn in a tight wince and tears flowed down his face.  
  
"Seamus, Seamus honey wake up. Come on now it's just a nightmare." Beka began to lightly shake Harper. Her efforts resulted in Harpers arm coming flying at her face and hitting her square in the nose. Her hand went up to her nose for a minute. She was amassed that a kid so small could have such an impressive right hook. "Come on Shay. It's just Beka; I'm not going to hurt you." Beka said as she shook Harper a little harder.  
  
"Beaka?" Harper said finally awake, his tear stained face looking up at her.  
  
"Yeah Shay it's me" Beka smiled; glad to see Harper was done throwing punches and finally wake.  
  
"I wan my mommy." Harper said holding the teddy bear Trance had given him tight.  
  
"I know honey. But we're going to take care of you till she gets back. Me, Rommie, Dylan, and Trance aren't going to let anything bad happen to you." Beka said as she ran her hand through Harper's sweat soaked hair trying to comfort the small child. "You want to tell me about your dream?"  
  
Harper pulled his knees up to his chest holding his teddy close and shook his head.  
  
"Well it was just a dream. It can't hurt you, remember that. Ok?"  
  
"Tay," Harper shifted so he was now sitting Indian style on the bed. Still clearly upset with not being able to see his parents.  
  
"Why don't you go wash up, change into some of the clothes I got for you, and then we can go eat breakfast." Beka said trying to keep her face light and happy. In reality her back was sore, she was tired, and she was sure an impressive bruise was now forming on her face. The next space station they came to with a halfway illegitimate doctor she was getting her tubes tied.  
  
The idea of food clearly pleased Harper as he ran into the bathroom and leaned over trying to get the faucet turned on. Beka walked over and turned on the water and then lifted up Harper so he was sitting on counter next to the sink. He began playing with the water splashing himself and Beka. Soon washing up was turning into a bath for both of them.  
  
"Alright buster that's enough of that." Beka said as she picked up a soaking wet Harper and placed him on the floor. "Let's get you dressed." Beka grabbed a towel and led Harper back out to the main room. It took Beka about fifteen minutes before Harper was dried off and dressed.  
  
Beka also had to empty Harper's pocket from yesterday so he could put everything in his pockets again. As she was doing this she found a necklace hidden in one of the pockets. She felt a little guilty for discovering her birthday present early but that was clearly what the necklace was for. She put it around her neck.  
  
Harper looked like a mini punk in her brother's old clothes. Growing up they had gone for the tougher look. The torn jeans, ratty sneaks and black t-shirt were so far from the bright colors Harper normally worn. The look was toped off by his refusal to leave his teddy bear behind. By the time she got the mess, with Harper and teddy in tow, she just collapsed in a chair and looked at Trance and Dylan for help.  
  
"Seamus you want to get something to eat?" Trance said, reaching out her hand for Harper to take. He nodded his head and grabbed her hand as they walked toward the kitchen to find food.  
  
"You ok Beka"  
  
"I just want my Harper back. Seamus is cute but he…."  
  
"It's not Harper." Dylan said finishing her sentence.  
  
"Parts of him are though. Same eating habits; same ability to go from depressed to happy in two point five seconds; same nightmares he won't talk about…"  
  
"He had a nightmare?"  
  
"He's a five year old, who's lived surrounded by death, and now his family has disappeared and he is in a strange new environment alone. And the only familer thing seems to be this teddy that Trance found, in our Harper's stuff, and he seems to not want to part with now" Beka said starting off on one of her rants.  
  
"You're right but…" Dylan started as Beka took a breath but was interrupted.  
  
"But we can't just wave a magic wand and make his god awful childhood go away. Can't wish away the dozen times he almost died in that place from some disease that had been wiped out everywhere else?" Beka took a breath as she finished explanation.  
  
"Doesn't stop us from wanting to take all those memories away from him," Dylan said summing up Beka's rant. He placed his hand on hers and gave her a look saying he understood. But part of Beka knew he could never understand, she could never understand what Harper's childhood was like.  
  
Trance and Harper walked back into the room ending Dylan and Beka's conversation quickly. "So Seamus what is your bear's name?" Trance asked as she sat down Harper's breakfast and situated him in her lap. Beka remember sitting on a sack of unpaid bills when she was that age so she could reach the table.  
  
Trance's question couldn't be answered at the moment because the little boy was so busy stuffing his face. When he was done jugging down the orange juice he replied, "Tawa use taw call im Edward Bear."  
  
"What do you call him?" Trance prodded.  
  
"Tawa's Bear, but around mom it's Edward. Shit cries when someone says Tawa nam." Beka had to stifle a laugh at Harper's pronunciation of she.  
  
"Tara?" Trance said trying to keep the conversation going.  
  
"My sissy the maygod kill her" Everyone was quiet for a moment. Dylan turned to Beka, Beka to Trance, and they all shared a collective look, showing that none of them had ever heard about a sister. "Kawi says it's cause she mses her. I ms her tu." Trance gave the small child a hug. After a few moments she found her voice again.  
  
"You want to go play now Shay." Trance voice was still horse but Harper didn't notice and he hopped off her lap and started to pull on Dylan's sleeve.  
  
"I vant to play bad-skit-ball"  
  
"Ok, ok, Seamus, I'll play basketball with you." A smile returned to Dylan's face as he was dragged to the basketball court.  
  
***  
  
Dylan spent the first half of their time together throwing the ball around with Harper. Then he watched Harper try and shoot hoops. Which more was the little boy standing directly under the hood and throwing the ball as high up in the air as he could. When the ball came flying back down to earth, normally headed right for his head, he covered his head and then went running after the ball, as it bounced all over the court. After a hundred tries he did finally make a basket. This resulted in Harper jumping up in the air screaming yes, and then doing a little dance that resulted in Dylan laughing so hard his stomach began to ache. By the middle of the morning Harper had managed to make three whole baskets.  
  
***  
  
"Hey boys you ready for some lunch?" A refreshed Beka asked as she walked on to the court.  
  
"More fud?" Harper dropped the basketball and ran to pick up his teddy.  
  
"Not so fast mister, go put away that ball" Beka said playfully stern voice.  
  
"Feeling better?" Dylan asked.  
  
"Thanks for taking him. How did he do?"  
  
"Made three whole baskets"  
  
"Well if engineering ever fails him we know he could have a career in basketball." Harper had finished putting away the ball and ran up to Dylan with his hands held up in the air. Dylan just looked at Harper and gave Beka a confused look.  
  
"I think he wants you to pick him up." Beka informed the clueless captain.  
  
"Oh," Dylan bent over and picked up Harper. "Man you're hot. Must be from all that running around kido"  
  
  
  
***sorry it's so short, I have to work all weekend but I'll work on it I promise*** 


	4. what now

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Last time on Andromda  
  
It grants wishes…not that kind of wishes, it makes them seem like coincidence but they never turn out how you want them too. They always turn out bad." The old shop owner warned Harper.  
  
  
  
~"But we can't just wave a magic wand and make his god awful childhood go away. Can't wish away the dozen times he almost died in that place from some disease that had been wiped out everywhere else?" Beka took a breath as she finished her explanation~  
  
~Dylan bent over and picked up Harper. "Man you're hot. Must be from all that running around kido"~  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Beka couldn't help to notice Harper's eating habits had slowed dramatically at lunch. Maybe the kid wasn't used to so much food. Three meals a day was a new concept to his young body. Although Beka was a little confused on if his body remembered 5 years of no food, or the 17 years of no food and the 6 years of three meals a day most of the time  
  
"Full kid?" Beka asked. A sheepish grin spread across Harper's face.  
  
"I'm storry I can't ea it all," Harper said really upset. "I'll eat it lader, I don't mean to waist fud."  
  
"It's alright." Beka picked Harper off her lap, now that her services as a human booster chair where no longer needed. "We have plenty of food kiddo." Harper turned and looked at Beka, his eyes' getting really big. It was like she had just told him that today was Christmas or he could have two deserts. "Come on Shay let's go back to your room and read a story." Beka turned to leave with Harper following her at a slow pace. Beka then turned around and picked up the small child. "You tired kid"  
  
Harper shook his head but his eyes and body said yes as he put his head on Beka's shoulder and she started to carry him back to his room.  
  
Dylan was right when he said Harper was hot before. The kid was practically burning up in Beka's arms. She just hoped that Harper wasn't getting sick on top of everything else. Who was she kidding, Harper had just been plant side and with his immune system that meant he would be coming down with a cold of some kind two days later.  
  
It was a short walk to the VIP quarters from the mess but by the time they got there Harper was already asleep. Beka laid him on the bed and sat beside him. She ran her hands through his hair. Harper had a deep frown on his face and was quietly whimpering, showing all the signs that he was having a nightmare. How long was he on the Maru before he stopped having those dreams every night? She couldn't remember. She knew they still came to him some nights, the dreams he never spoke of. He would just show up on command deck a little later or earlier, the circles under his eyes a little deeper, and she would know. Even Dylan, oblivious to so many things, knew the signs these days.  
  
"It's ok Harper. I'm not going to leave you. We're going to find away out of this mess too. We always do." Beka kept playing with the sleeping Harper's hair and she felt him relax a little. Beka looked up at the ceiling and whispered "Rommie"  
  
Holo-Rommie popped on and responded in a hush tone "Yes Beka."  
  
"Is he?" Beka asked knowing Rommie would have been monitoring Harper's vitals all day and would know if he was running a fever now.  
  
"Yes Beka, Harper is running a small fever. But most young children will run fevers occasionally, it doesn't mean his sick. More his immune system is getting rid of foreign bacteria and toxics (sorry I had thrown that in, some stuff from my classes)"  
  
"Rommie this is Harper we are talking about," whatever techno babble Rommie offered her the fact remain Harper had a horrible immune system.  
  
"I know Beka. I will keep monitoring his vitals for any changes."  
  
"Thanks Rommie." With that the A.I. popped out of view leaving Beka with the sleeping Harper. "Looks like it's just you and me kid. I'm going to grab some work, I'll be right back." Beka got up off the bed and again called out to the ceiling. "Rommie" But her question was answered by the doors to the room whooshing open and Rommie standing in the doorway holding a flexi.  
  
"I'll take care of him Beka."  
  
"Thanks Rommie," with that Beka left. Why she hated leaving Harper she didn't know; as much as she hated kids she couldn't help feeling drawn to little Harper. He was such a little reminder of how much Harper had changed from the small, thin, timid teen she had taken off earth so many years ago. "Come back to me Harper," she whispered to no one.  
  
~~~  
  
Rommie sat, in the same cushion chair that Beka had fallen asleep in last night, working on solutions for Harper's situation. Part of her was still wondering about the necklace that he had been given in the market place. She hadn't seen it when Beka had emptied Harper's pockets yesterday and it wasn't in his room either. Rommie didn't believe in wishes but the strange event of her wishing for a new childhood for Harper and then him turning into a child left her puzzled. Wishes weren't true her brain told her but her emotions said that it was too much of a coincidence, like the old women talked about.  
  
Harper stirred in his sleep drawing her out of her thoughts. She walked over to the bed and sat down beside the sleeping Harper like Beka had done earlier. She ran her hand through the sleeping boy's hair surprise at how hot he was. His temperature had risen another degree further. Even though little children ran fevers his temperature was now 103.2. Rommie picked up the sleeping Harper and started walking towards medical, telling her other self to page Beka and Trance.  
  
Harper stirred in her arms starting to wake up from the movement. "Rommie?" Harper asked rubbing his eyes.  
  
"Yes Seamus, its Rommie" she said trying to comfort the small boy as she shifted him to her hip.  
  
He put his head on her shoulder and asked, "Where are we going?"  
  
"Medical," Rommie said continuing her brisk pace to medical.  
  
"I don wan to go to meditcal" Harper said sitting up in Ramie's arms.  
  
"Seamus you are running a fever, we want to make sure you are ok." Rommie said in a firm voice tightening her grip on the small child.  
  
"Am I goin to die?" Rommie stopped when he asked the question.  
  
"No, you are sick but we are going to make you better." Harper settled back down into Rommie's arms as she continued walking. They got to medical right as Tyr was exiting. Harper again sat up in Rommie's arms. Hs eyes got wide and his arms wrapped tightly around Rommie. "Seamus it Tyr remember. He is a good Neitzchien. He is not going to hurt you."  
  
"Remember boy I was the one who brought you to medical yesterday." Tyr face and voice were soft as he took a step toward Rommie and Harper with his hand out, but Rommie felt Harper's hands dig into her fake flesh and her side starting to get wet. She turned her head to look Harper but his eyes refused to leave Tyr.  
  
"I'm not going to hurt you. I would never hurt you little man." Tyr tried again. Harper kept the same terrified look on his face. Tyr turned to leave giving Harper one last look. For a stern faced Neitzchien Rommie thought he looked really sad. Rommie turned and walked into medical with Harper. His eyes never left Tyr until the doors closed.  
  
When Rommie set Harper down on the bed in medical he was shaking and still hadn't said anything. "It's ok Seamus. You are ok. No one here is going to hurt you." Harper pulled his knees up to his legs and started rocking back and forth.  
  
"Shay I'm going to give you something to help you sleep but it won't hurt." Trance said as she loaded a hypo spray with a mild sedative. Harper shook his head violently and started moving back on the bed away from Trance. Rommie picked up Harper who started struggle and kicking Rommie several times. She said a quiet thank you for the ability to not feel pain and held Harper tight rocking him back and forth.  
  
"You are ok, you are ok Seamus, no Neitzchien are going to hurt you here" She ran her hand up and down Harper's back in small circles. She continued comforting the small boy until he settled down. Trance walked up and injected the hypo in Harper's arm. Immediately Harper pasted out in Rommie's arms. She laid him down on the bed still rubbing his back.  
  
"Rommie," Trance said breaking through Rommie's thoughts, "why don't you go change. He'll be asleep for a while."  
  
"Alright Trance. I'll bring back a change of clothes for Harper."  
  
"Bring Edward bear too."  
  
"Who is Edward Bear?"  
  
"His teddy," Trance said moving to Harper's besides moving some of his hair off his face. Rommie left the room with one last look at Harper passed out in the biobed and Trance wandering around medical conducting varies scans.  
  
~~~  
  
Beka was sitting on the bed holding Edward Bear in Harper's quarters when Rommie walked in after changing. "How is he Rommie?" Beka asked not looking up.  
  
"He is going to be ok Beka," Rommie said trying to comfort her friend.  
  
"I know it's just a fever but he is so young and this is Harper. A small fever quickly turns into the plague and he is in bed for weeks."  
  
"Well he has chicken pox but it is a mild illness."  
  
"Chicken poxs, what's that?"  
  
"It's an old earth illness. In about two days he'll get itchy bumps all over but they stop itching in five days and in two weeks have completely fallen off. They made a vaccine for it thousands of years ago so cases today are very rare. Everyone on the ship is going to have to given a vaccine for it though."  
  
"I thought you said it was a rare and mild disease."  
  
"It's very contagious but cases of it are very rare and it is more sever in adults. I came here to get a change of clothes for Harper." Beka raised up an eyebrow. "He wet himself when he saw Tyr."  
  
"I thought we were trying to avoid having those two meet."  
  
"It was my fault Beka but Harper will be ok."  
  
"I know it's just…"  
  
"I know. Trance also though Harper would like to have Edward Bear. She wants him to stay in medical for a few days." Beka looked down at the bear and then handed it to Rommie she then went over to the bag that held the clothes she had found on the Maru.  
  
"Here's some pjs. Beside I think there is only one other pair of guy pants left that won't be huge on him. All I have left for him to wear some of my old tight tees."  
  
"Well at least we know those won't be too big on them," Rommie commented, a smile form on Beka's face.  
  
"I won't talk about your wardrobe miss." Beka said as she threw the outfit as Rommie. "Page me when he wakes up"  
  
"I will" and Rommie turned to leave.  
  
"Wait, I'll come with you," the two of them left the room heading off to visit their friend.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
*This is going to have one more chapter and then it will be finished. Raven thanks for the suggestion. I was debating putting in that scene from the beginning. 


	5. back to normal?

This was a fun story to write I hope everyone enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. Thanks to everyone who reviewed.  
  
Sorry this took so long I had a huge anatomy test that I failed after studying and memorizing all the material, (yes I am a little bitter) and I have been have b**** fest 2002 with my roommate (I love college), and generally this has been the week from hell. But thanks for reviewing it keep me writing and not just scraping the whole thing.  
  
Disclaimer- I don't own Andromea or any of the characters roam it. I don't own The Edward Bear (bonus points to any readers who got the name). The idea of wishes gone bad came from the story the Monkey's Paw. Harper's Edward Bear, Tara, Kari and their history are my inventions. Any medical information that is actually correct (and there is very little of it so don't quote anything in this paper) came from my anatomy text, my psychology text, and varies medical websites (If you want to know the specific titles e-mail me, Lauriena@hotmail.com.) Don't sue I own nothing  
  
~~~*~~~  
  
"Who knew a kid with a fever could be that hyper?" Beka commented to Rommie as they watched little Harper jumping up and down on the bed in his room. Beka and Rommie had rescued him from medical early that afternoon. More of they had rescued Trance. A day and a half with the hyperactive five year old and even Trances calm composer was starting to come undone. Not to mention the state of medical.  
  
Harper kicked his legs up and landed on his butt with one last bounce. He crawled over to his pillow and tucked his teddy under his chin and started off to sleep.  
  
"Apparently he is not as hyperactive as he would seem." Rommie said as she walked over and tucked in the sleeping child.  
  
"Up one minute, down the next. And I thought our Harper was one for the mood swings" Beka said sitting down in the chair that had found itself permanent addition to the side of the bed. Rommie pulled up another chair next to Beka. "So any ideas on how to get him back?"  
  
"Not yet, we are trying but there we can't even figure out the how and why." Rommie looked at Beka noticing her necklace for the first time. "Beka, where did you find that necklace?"  
  
"It was in Harper's pockets. I kinda figured it was a birthday present, it's the kinda thing Harper always gets me for my birthday." Beka said playing with the necklace around her neck.  
  
"Just wondering," Rommie got quiet wondering about the mysterious necklace she thought had been lost. Was that piece of jewelry responsible for their problems? That was impossible. Both women remained lost in thought watching their sleeping friend.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Trance straightened up from the microscope she was peering in when Rommie walked in with Beka and Harper. Beka was carrying the young child who face was now covered with red dots. He looked like a five year old with a bad case of acne. His head was buried in Beka's shoulder and he was clearly miserable.  
  
"Hey Seamus how are you doing?" Trance asked walking over to Harper and Beka. Harper just buried his head farther into Beka's shoulder.  
  
"We're not very talkative today, are we Shay?" Beka then turned to Trance, "his been like this since he woke up, tired, cranky…"  
  
"I'm not cwankey," Harper yelled as he undid one of his arms that were wrapped around Beka to itch his face.  
  
"I see how not cranky you are. Come on Kiddo you can't scratch, remember?" Beka said placing Harper down on the bed.  
  
"But it itches!" Harper yelled more intently scratching his face. Beka gently took his hand and placed it in his lap.  
  
"Yeah but Trance has some stuff that will make you feel better" Beka looked up with hopeful eyes at Trance. She didn't know how much longer she could take whiney, clingy, baby Harper. She remembered how her family used to fight to be the kids' favorite relative. She didn't see what all the fuss was about now. Harper was cute but she preferred an engineer and friend over a rug-rat.  
  
"Here Seamus this will make you feel better." Trance began rubbing ointment all over Harper arms, legs, chest, and face until he looked like he was covered in the white substance. "There, feel any better?"  
  
Harper just nodded his head and stuck out his arms for Beka to pick him up. She reached over and grasped the now slick five year old. His clothes were sticking to the ointment and Beka knew she was now covered too. At least Harper had stop trying to scratch himself raw.  
  
"Beka?" Rommie Began uncertain on how to ask the question that would follow, "Could I borrow your necklace for a little while"  
  
"Yeah, but why Rommie"  
  
"Just testing out a theory, I will explain later." Beka shifted Harper to her hip and tried to undo the clasp on her necklace one handed. Rommie reached around and did it for her. Turning towards Harper Rommie said, "Well Seamus I hope you feel better. I wish that you didn't have to go through all this."  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Ending 1  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
(A week earlier)  
  
Rommie stood in the cramp shop yelling at Harper to go.  
  
"Alright Rommie, one minute" Harper replied with his shoulder slumping as he went to the lady who ran the shop to haggle over a couple pieces of equipment he had managed to find. The two seem to be in a fight over one piece. Rommie imagined that Harper's asking price must have been too low. He was an excellent haggler and could mange to pay half what most things were worth. But they really didn't have time for Harper to spend an hour discussing the price with the lady. She walked up to the two ready to pay the lady's asking price.  
  
"I told you it's not for sale." The shopkeeper repeated pointing to the necklace Harper held in his hand. What Harper wanted with the necklace she didn't know but him and the old lady were getting into a shouting match over it.  
  
"Come on everything for sale for the right price."  
  
"No it shouldn't have been on display, I don't know how it even got there."  
  
"Harper we have to go." Rommie said interrupting the fight.  
  
"Minute Rommie" Harper said yelling now at Harper too.  
  
"No now Harper" Rommie yelled having lost her patience  
  
"Alright, fine" with that Harper handle the necklace back to the lady, paid for the rest of the parts and walked out of the shop.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
For all of you who really hated that ending we have ending two  
  
Ending 2  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
Just testing out a theory, I will explain later." Beka shifted Harper to her hip and tried to undo the clasp on her necklace one handed. Rommie reached around and did it for her. Turning towards Harper Rommie said, "Well Seamus I hope you feel better. I wish that we will have you back to normal real soon."  
  
With that Beka gave Rommie a strange look and exited medical with Harper. Beka walked back to the VIP quarters with Harper in her arms. It had now almost been a week since he had turned into a kid. Three days since he had come down with the chicken poxes. And in all that time Beka didn't think she had gotten one night sleep. She tried to but found herself sitting by her friend's bed waiting for the nightmares to come. They had every night, and every night she woke Harper only to have him cry himself back to sleep after refusing to talk about it. The teddy bear that Trance had found never left his side. It was strange looking at the kid sleeping on the bed in front of her and think that he was her friend. The boy's face showed hints of her Harper but they looked so different. Harper tried to hide his fears, this boy showed them to the world. Harper rarely talked of the camps. This boy had told Beka more about Harper's past in the past week then she had learned in the past 6 years together. And yet it was strange, they were the same person and yet they weren't.  
  
"Beka," Rommie's voice chimed in breaking Beka's thoughts.  
  
"Yeah Rommie" Beka said again replying to the ceiling.  
  
"We have figured it out. Bring Harper to medical." Beka picked the sleeping boy up off the bed.  
  
"When we get you back you owe me big time buster" Beka said as she grunted picking up the sleeping boy again. It was weird Harper was the boy of a five year old yet he couldn't weight more than fifty pounds, good camp cooking all the way. For the second time that day Beka found herself carrying Harper towards medical, it was a good thing he was a light kid. Beka didn't think her back could handle it if he was even ten pounds heavier.  
  
Beka entered medical and found that she was the last member of the crew to arrive. Even Tyr was there, he stepped out from behind a console when he saw that Harper was still sleeping. Trance nodded towards the bed and Beka set the sleeping child down on it.  
  
"We figured it out. It was so simple." Trance said bubbling with excitement reminding Beka of the old Trance. "The shock caused his pituitary gland which secretes growth hormone to secrete reverse growth hormone. We can simulate his pituitary gland to secret growth hormone and then he will grow back up. All we have to do is make sure that he doesn't grow up too much but Rommie thinks we can stop that."  
  
"We are going to have to give him a small shock but it should work and it won't hurt too much." Rommie continued the explanation as Trance finished preparing the equipment they would need. She injected Harper with a sedative and pain killer.  
  
"What about the chicken poxes? You said cases were more server in adults."  
  
"He is through the worst of the disease. Speeding up his growth will also speed up the disease."  
  
"How long until he grows up again?"  
  
"We're going to give him the shock now and it should take a couple of days for him to get back to normal. We want to take it slow."  
  
Beka nodded her head and went to stand with the rest of the crew, out of Trance and Rommies way. Rommie hooked stuck a long needle into Harpers neck and then nodded to Trance. Harper whole body tensed and rear up as the electrical shock traveled through his body. Beka felt Dylan hand on her shoulder and then she realized he was holding her back from going to her friend. Harper's five year old frame relaxed again and he remained unconscious.  
  
"When will he wake up?" Beka's question remained unanswered as Trance and Rommie quickly worked on Harper taking scans and removing the large needle from his neck.  
  
"I think he will sleep the rest of the night. It worked though and there are no more signs of the chicken poxes." Rommie said after looking at the scans. Everyone in the room breathed a collective sigh. "He can go back to his room now. I don't think Harper is fond of this place at any age."  
  
With those words Tyr slowly walked over to the sleeping boy and picked him gently up. His eyes and actions showing more than words ever could about his feeling towards Harper. The whole crew followed him out of medical and towards Harpers VIP room.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
The next morning a teenage Harper awoke to see five faces all sleeping in random places in his room. "You're up Seamus"  
  
"Harper, only my mom calls me Seamus these days. You're Beka right. I remember you; you took care of me once when I was sick." Beka ran up and hugged the young teen.  
  
"Good to have you back kid"  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
(A week later)  
  
Beka walked into the VIP quarters were she had spent the last week with little Harper. She saw her Harper sitting on the bed holding the teddy bear that had been his best friend for the last week and she assumed most of his childhood.  
  
"Hey Kiddo how are you doing?" Harper jumped at the sound of Beka's voice. "Do you remember any of it?"  
  
"Some what, it's kinda like a childhood memory. I remember parts but not the whole. I mean I know it all happen a week ago but to me it feels like it all happened when I was 5. I mean it's like I have two sets of memories of my childhood." Harper never looked up at Beka playing with the necklace around the teddy bears neck.  
  
"Well, don't know what to tell you. Although you do make a cute kid."  
  
Harper looked up and gave Beka a half smile. "Yeah I've seen the vid files."  
  
"Blackmail for later"  
  
"Beka?"  
  
"Yeah Kid"  
  
"Happy Belated Brithday, your present got lost in everything that happened."  
  
"You mean this" Beka said pulling out the necklace from her pocket. "I found it in your pockets"  
  
"Yeah about all that, thanks, I mean…"  
  
"No problem, I'm just glad I didn't have to change any diapers" With that Beka found one of the pillows from the bed flying at her head.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
"Sometimes people care too much, I think it's called Love"- Edward Bear, better known to his friends as Winnie the Pooh.  
  
~~~~*~~~~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
I don't know when I will be able to write another story but readers' choice either a Beka Harper back in the day (with or without Trance), Harper's childhood, or Beka's childhood story. Tell me what you want because I can't decide, I need help. Feel free to e-mail me with idea (Lauriena@hotmail.com) 


End file.
